Jan 25, 2018
Intense partisanship. Rampant wealth and inequality. Racial
divisions. While they sound like the issues of today, they were
also prevalent during the Gilded Age, an important time in American
history. It was during these years — between 1865 and 1896 — that
many of the foundations of modern society were set into place. In
this episode, Professors Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang discuss this
era and how it compares to today with award-winning historian
Richard White, author of “The Republic for Which It Stands: The
United States during Reconstruction and the Gilded Age, 1865-1896.”
White is a historian of the United States specializing in the
American West, the history of capitalism, environmental history,
history and memory, and Native American history. His work has
occasionally spilled over into Mexico, Canada, France, Australia
and Ireland. He is a MacArthur Fellow and a recipient of the Mellon
Distinguished Professor Award. His work has won numerous academic
prizes, and he has twice been a finalist for the Pulitzer
Prize.